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news with Luke rather than his parents.
    But not all at once. And not on the front porch. “Is there someplace we can talk?”
    “Sure. This way.” And before she could object or explain, he turned and disappeared into the shadows of the hall, leaving the door open behind him.
    The dog padded after him, its nails clicking as it crossed from the faded antique rug to the hardwood floor.
    Leaving her no choice but to follow them into the house. Not the alpha dog, obviously. Somewhere at the back of the pack.
    The entry hall of the Pirates’ Rest was warm with woodwork and rich with color. A square, spindled staircase wrapped around a built-in bench. Garland decorated the bannister, filling the air with pine. A banner draped the second-floor landing.
    WELCOME HOME.
     
    Got back today
, he’d said.
    Kate winced. Homecomings in her parents’ house had rarely been joyous. That didn’t mean she should spoil his. “I’m sorry. I can come back another time.”
    “You’re here,” Luke said over his shoulder. He pushed open the door at the end of the hall. “You might as well say what you came to say.”
    And go
. Her mind supplied the words he was too polite to say. He must be looking forward to time with his family. He could hardly welcome a visit from his baby mama’s mainland lawyer on his first night home.
    Kate squared her shoulders. She owed it to Taylor—she owed it to Dawn—to finish what she started. She walked past Luke’s outstretched arm, his stretched-out T-shirt, his muscled chest.
    And stopped dead on the threshold.
    The kitchen was full of people. Family. Fletchers. She recognized the broad-shouldered man with the big hands and quiet eyes as Luke’s brother, Matt, the charter boat captain. The petite brunette in designer jeans and boots was their sister, Meg.
    All of them subtly united, looking at her with nearly identical blue eyes and identical expressions of surprise.
    She felt like a crasher in a Norman Rockwell painting.
    “Luke? Is everything all right?” asked the thin, auburn-haired woman at the head of the table.
    “Everything’s fine. This is Kay Dolan,” Luke said. “My mother, Tess.”
    Kate hid her wince. “Kate. We spoke on the phone.”
    The older woman’s smile crinkled the corners of her eyes. “Dawn’s lawyer friend. It’s nice to finally meet you.”
    “You, too. Please don’t get up,” Kate said, observing the cane resting against the arm of Tess’s chair.
    “My father, Tom,” Luke said, indicating the spare, gray-haired man beside Tess.
    “We’ve met. Hi, Mr. Fletcher.”
    Luke’s sister Meg stepped forward. “Kate let us wait in her office the day we went to court. Thanks for that, by the way.” She smiled at Kate, guarded but polite.
    Meg was in PR, Kate remembered. She must be used to putting a good face on things.
    “You’re welcome,” Kate said.
    Okay, this was awkward. Everyone was still staring, including a tall, handsome teen with a sandy mop of hair, and two adults Kate had never laid eyes on before, a pretty blonde next to Matt and a dark-haired man with Meg. Also tall, tanned, and beautiful, dressed with a casual ease that spoke of money and privilege.
    With an effort, Kate restrained herself from fingering the scar on her cheek.
    Taylor curled in a chair between her uncle Matt and the blonde.
    Kate smiled. “Hi, Taylor.”
    She didn’t expect a response. She was just “Mommy’s boss” to Taylor, just another grown-up on the periphery of her life. The last time they’d met, outside the courthouse, had hardly been a pleasant occasion.
    But Taylor smiled, cautiously. “Hi.”
    The table in front of her was littered with bottles of beer and half-full glasses, bowls of chips and dip, platters of cheese and meat and olives.
    A real family party.
    Kate’s stomach sank. Coming here had been a mistake. She should have waited. Should have called again.
    Never get personally involved
.
    The teenager reached over Taylor’s shoulder for a handful of